Summer Drainage Installations and Heavier than Usual Rain

 

Since the turn of the new year I have installed a large amount of drainage for clients old and new. I love installing drainage. This summer I have been hearing grumblings from other landscape installers regarding drainage that needs to be tweaked due to the heavy rainfall this summer in the form of short, heavy storms that are bursting due to the summer heat. They are dropping a lot of rain fast. Last summer it was HOT and dry as a bone for most of the summer growing season. This summer it is the opposite and drainage systems are being tested. The following are several, rarely mentioned drainage notes to consider when working with summer drainage needs:

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• The original drainage plan from your drainage installer does not include the knowledge of how the new drainage system will perform if there are higher than usual water levels that inundate the installed drainage. If an installer is like me they will guarantee their drainage. Often times your installer may need to tweak the drainage after installation to handle a much larger capacity of water. Additional branch pipes, emitters, or berms may need to be installed or created to help drain higher levels more efficiently. Once the drainage is tweaked the water should drain more effectively. Bear in mind the drainage system may need one tweak or several to make sure it is performing properly. 

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• Make sure to convey all the information you have in a consultation with a drainage installer regarding water flooding you are observing and where. The installer will handle the rest. 

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• Don't wait to contact the installer if the drainage is not effective, or draining slower, or if there is pooling water. The faster the contact the faster the installer can assess what additional needs there are for drainage. Water is dynamic and has its own mind in larger amounts. It is crucial to be able to make changes in a timely manner. 

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• If the client is installing additional landscaping after the drainage installation, a timely schedule is needed and an understanding of the areas around the drainage and how they might respond to the drainage before and after the installation of new landscaping. In the summertime with the higher heat the ground dries out with our without landscaping. When there is a burst rain storm water has the potential to pool on top of the dry dirt and soil instead of draining more efficiently causing pooling and flooding. ​​​